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This is a longshot but this seemed like the most logical place to post this question...

Is there a way to complete a form using XML exported from a MySQL database and create a new record automatically in FM Pro without using the FM Pro scripting tools?

Background:

We have a client that sends us requests from their system for new jobs all day. These currently come as PDFs which are then manually entered/typed into a job tracking system. This happens for each and every new job. The third party job tracking system is built using FM Pro and shared over a network.

We have managed to get the PDF data sent in such a way that we can insert it into a database (MySQL) automatically, as we want to collect the data for use elsewhere in the business. We then export the data we need as XML. The problem is that the roles assigned to non administrators e.g. us, do not allow FM Pro scripting. Consequently, we require an alternative way of getting our XML data into the 'new job' form in FM Pro and the 'create job' button clicked.

The company that have developed the job tracking system don't allow ODBC or JDBC connections either.

We have converted the data to the correct grammar and all works well with a test Filemaker database but because the inbuilt Filemaker scripting is disabled and the File -> Import Records menu item is also disabled we can not get the data into the third party job tracking system that we use.

Any ideas on how we can get this data into the third party system would be greatly appreciated.

We have and they are very clear that they will neither allow us to use Filemaker scripting, the import function or create a ODBC/JDBC connection. This is the main issue and the reason I am trying to find a workaround.

Thanks again for your input. While I still don't have a solution, it's great to know there's people who are kind enough to help.

Now back to the task at hand...

Is there a macro style approach that I could look into? E.g. Record the actions performed on the page and have the macro (or similar) set-up so that the data completed in the page is as per an XML file.

I would be happy to use a utility or application that would provide the ability to do this. Does anybody know of such a tool?

Another option you could try is to create your own file. Then put a table occurrence on the graph of the external file, using whatever your access account is. If you have enough permissions in that file to create records, you may be able to do what you want from your own file, where you can create scripts, and even layouts based on the external file.* Access to create a new records is quite different from Import, and you may very well be able to do it.

If you import your data into this file, you should be able to automate creating matching records in the external file, and populating the fields. More tedious than Import, yes, but once done it will perform much the same.

*Once you have table occurrences of an external file in your file, you can create pretty much whatever interface solutions which you have permission to perform; which may be quite a lot.